‘September Afternoon’ Dives Into the Mundane: “In an Age of Arbitrary Extraordinariness, Plain Banality Is Stimulating as F***” (Exclusive Clip)
German director Nicolaas Schmidt is presenting his feature-length directorial debut at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival following earlier success with his 2021 short film at the same venue. The work follows two characters who resist summer's end by making one last journey to the seaside, only to find harsh weather and an unfolding crisis disrupting their attempt to reconnect and prolong a fading season.
Schmidt's filmmaking philosophy centres on extracting meaning from ordinary moments and everyday routines, relying on cinematography, sound, and visual atmosphere rather than extensive dialogue to communicate with audiences. His approach deliberately inverts romantic notions of seaside escape, presenting instead a contemporary portrait of nostalgia and isolation, whilst positioning plainness and stillness as aesthetically worthwhile alternatives to contemporary culture's emphasis on spectacle.
- German filmmaker Nicolaas Schmidt's feature debut premieres at Locarno Film Festival on August 10 in the Filmmakers of the Present Competition
- The film follows a couple clinging to summer through a final coastal visit, disrupted by autumn weather and escalating into a wider catastrophe
- Schmidt's aesthetic emphasises visual composition, sound design, and mundane moments over dialogue, positioning simplicity as antidote to manufactured spectacle